Chrome 55 update promises memory boost

By all accounts, Google’s Chrome is a pretty good browser. Unfortunately, Chrome has been hamstrung by memory management issues since it was first launched. That is all set to change with the upcoming Chrome 55 update which is aimed to improve the browser’s JavaScript engine, leading to an improvement in browser performance.

chrome chart

The first key improvement that was made to Chrome’s JavaScript V8 engine is the reduction of its Heap Size.

The reduced JavaScript Heap Size, coupled with revised heuristics, allows the browser to conduct stricter garbage collection. This allows lower memory devices to reduce overall memory footprint.

heap memory
Heap size memory consumption test for Chrome 53 and Chrome 55

The second key improvement is the reduction in memory consumption during background parsing.

Currently, Chrome’s parser has a tendency to keep zones alive longer than necessary. By changing the duration which the parser keep zones alive, this allows Google to reduce the average and peak memory usage in Chrome.

v8 peak zone memory
Zone memory consumption test for Chrome 53 and Chrome 55

What this all translates to is simple: Chrome 55 will use considerably less memory compared to the current version, Chrome 53.

That said, only low-end devices will see any actual improvements in performance. Whatever the case, you should still update to Chrome 55 when it goes live on the 6th of December.

Source: The Chromium Project

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